I don't think luring people to stores with an exclusive webcast is a good business model. When your customers are willing to watch an advertisement, why not let them?

Who knows what the figure is, but I'd bet that 99% of customers cannot make it to an apple store for the event. They are either not that interested, actually work a day job, or don't live near an apple store.

If I recall correctly, all recent WWDC keynotes have been made available, on-demand, on the afternoon of the keynote. (Since the days of rhapsody)

Exclusive live events at apple stores would be a waste of money even if Apple garnered a few additional impulse sales. National ad campaigns cost tens of millions if not hundreds of millions of dollars. Yet, webcasts of these keynotes routinely set bandwidth records and make the evening news and morning papers. The keynote is being taped and Apple already has a fairly cost effective method of distribution. It would be plain stupid not to allow customers to watch an advertisement that costs this much to produce.

Good strategy, especially if they have immediate availabity... it would be a great strategy if Apple had Applestores outside the US where people could watch it and buy as well...

In the UK we have a conglomeration of tin sheds and cowboys who call themselves exclusive Mac Dealer or Applecentres. Or we have to depend on department stores to get kit!! Most, if not all, sites share sales space with PCs... It is no wonder Apple don't increase market share here when the retail side is such a shambles...

It's not just customers outside of the US which can't attend. The majority of americans don't live close enough to make attendance feasible. In pittsburgh, I'd have to drive 6 hours one way to get to the closest apple store... I suspect exclusive live broadcasts are done for other reasons than to promote impulse buys at brick and mortor apple stores.

Guys an update from on site at Moscone West today.. the same large truck they have for MWSF streams every year is sitting out on the side of the building. It has a different paint scheme this year from last MWSF blue versus black but it is the truck they do the video switching and I believe the webcast from. It also has Apple security between it and the rear entrance of the building. Who knows but you may yet get a live webcast. BTW the new building is awesome looking, hope they host MWSF there this year.8)

Mall cops around the country were caught off guard today, as thousands of Mac loyalists lined up before dawn to cram into Apple Retail Stores nationwide to watch a live satellite broadcast of Apple CEO Steve Jobs introducing the company's new line of Power Macintosh G5 computers. With the surprise announcement of immediate availability, happy riots broke out as cheering Mac heads pounced on the few precious boxes as they were wheeled triumphantly from their back room hiding place.

"I couldn't believe it when they actually brought out the G5 boxes and people started diving on them. I'm so stoked I got mine!" said one elated shopper who had shown up at 5 AM. "I was just hoping to get a good seat for the show, I had no idea I'd be coming home with a new computer."

"We've never seen it so crazy here, and that's saying something" said the managers of Apple stores in Ohio, Arizona and Florida.

At the Glendale Galleria, security personal were bemused. "I remember when the store opened here two years ago", said one mall employee. "I couldn't believe people were here before sunrise then, but this G5 thing seems like even a bigger deal. I must have seen 100 big boxes go out the door in the first hour."

Though not webcast as past Apple events have been, live updates on Mac websites and message boards kept those not lucky enough to be near a store well informed. Tapping long pent up demand for faster professional machines, online orders are reportedly already very strong...

Fooking brilliant. You, sir, get a gold star. Just reading that fake news story makes me want to buy a damn G5. Garrrrr to be not a poor college boy.